ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM DROPHEAD COUPÉ WATERSPEED COLLECTION PRESS KIT

On the morning of 1 September 1937, at the height of the battle
between the United States and Great Britain to be the fastest nation
on water, British speed record pioneer Sir Malcolm Campbell headed out
onto the calm blue waters of Lake Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian
frontier. Pointing the nose of his Bluebird K3 hydroplane boat south,
powered by Rolls-Royce’s R-engine, he established a new water-speed
record of 126.32mph. The following day he went one better, piloting
his craft to 129.5mph, emphatically breaking the United States’
five-year stranglehold on the world water-speed record. Campbell’s
momentous achievement captured the world’s attention and reaffirmed
Rolls-Royce R-engines’ record-breaking superiority after triumphs on
land and in the air.

Celebrating this incredible act of British
‘Derring-Do’, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke department has
created the Waterspeed Collection, 35 specially designed Phantom
Drophead Coupés. Echoing the cutting-edge technology employed in the
construction of the K3, only the finest contemporary materials have
been used to furnish the Waterspeed Collection. Brushed steel
perfectly complements an exclusively developed Maggiore Blue
colour scheme. Perfectly book-matched open-grain Abachi wood veneer
evokes the sense of a boat effortlessly gliding through water at pace,
whilst the exterior coachline and laser etchings inside the car bring
Campbell’s ‘Bluebird’ motif back to life.

“Sir Malcolm Campbell’s successful pursuit of world-speed
records on land and water were the result of his commitment to the
most exacting standards of British design and engineering excellence,”
comments Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars. “Such attributes are hallmarks of every Rolls-Royce motor
car, ensuring the marque’s position at the pinnacle of super-luxury
manufacturing. This special Collection serves to display the breadth
of Bespoke personalisation available to every Rolls-Royce customer.”

The History of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s speed records

Sir Malcolm Campbell is the legend at the very core
of the British love affair with speed. A journalist and a motor racing
obsessive, he had already won three consecutive London to Land End
Trials motorbike races by the age of 23. Two years later in 1910 he
moved onto four wheels, racing cars at the now famous Brooklands track
in Surrey, England. By 1928 he had won two consecutive Grand Prix de
Boulogne in France.

Around the time that he began racing cars at Brooklands, he went
to see a play at the Haymarket Theatre in London’s West End. The play,
written by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck, made such an
impression on Campbell that on the way home from the theatre he is
reputed to have woken up the local ironmonger, bought all the paint he
had in stock and painted his race car ahead of the next day’s race. He
went on to win his first ever race and the colour adorned every
vehicle he and his family would race forever more. The colour was blue
and the play was called ‘The Bluebird’. A legend was born.

Not satisfied with competing in and winning races; Campbell had
his eye on a bigger prize. He wanted to be the fastest man in the
world. His record-breaking endeavours began in the early 1920’s on
land. He broke the land-speed record for the first time in 1924 on
Pendine Sands in South Wales setting a speed of 146.16mph in a 350HP
V12 Sunbeam built for him by the Sunbeam company. In 1927 he smashed
this record by covering a flying mile at 174.224mph in the
Napier-Campbell Bluebird, again on Pendine Sands. But it wasn’t until
his Bluebird car was modified to accommodate the 2,300bhp 36.5-litre
V12 Rolls-Royce R37 aero engine that he would put the land speed
record out of reach of others. On 3 September 1935, Sir Malcolm
Campbell broke the 300mph barrier on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
setting a speed of 301.129mph at the wheel of Bluebird. He was now the
fastest man on land.

But plans were already afoot in the Campbell camp to wrest
another record away from the competition. The fastest person on water
at the time was Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood, an American inventor,
entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer whose most recent record of
124.86mph had been set on 20 September 1932. This record would stand
for almost five years to the day.

It was in 1935, soon after setting the land-speed record that
Sir Malcolm decided to make an attempt on that five year old world
water-speed record. It was a matter of national pride to him. On the
eve of the Second World War he wanted to secure the record for Great Britain.

He commissioned Saunders Roe on the Isle of Wight to build a
craft capable of breaking the record. The Rolls-Royce R37 engine from
his land-speed record car was transferred to the craft and drove a dog
type clutch up to a V-drive gearbox mounted at the front of the boat
with a step up ratio of 1 engine revolution to 3 prop revolutions.
After 18 months of hard work and innovation, the boat was ready for
her first trials and was christened Bluebird by Lady Campbell
and given her international race number KZ30. This was later shortened
to K3.

The first trials on Loch Lomond in Scotland were hampered by
poor water surface conditions. However, Campbell and the team achieved
a speed of 90mph and this convinced him that the record could be
broken if only they could find a suitable span of water.

One of Campbell’s mechanics, Leo Villa, was of Italian decent.
He knew the lakes in Northern Italy were particularly calm and were
not affected by cross winds because of the steep slopes that surround
them. He was sent to reconnoitre and came back to report that Lake
Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian border was the perfect candidate. K3 and
the team were soon on their way to the Swiss side of Maggiore.

And so on the morning of 1 September 1937, Sir Malcolm headed
out onto Lake Maggiore in K3 and took her to a new world water-speed
record of 126.33mph, almost five years to the day since the last
record had been set. Bluebird performed very well, although Campbell
said she was a real handful and difficult to handle. However he was
sure K3 could go faster and the next day he ran again and powered to a
new record of 129.5mph. Sir Malcolm Campbell was now the fastest man
on land and water. He and his team returned triumphant to England.

As a postscript to this story, the team went to Switzerland
again in July 1938 to try and raise the record as Campbell felt the
margin between ‘Gar’ Woods old record and his own was very thin. On a
smaller quieter lake close to the German boarder called Halwill, a
modified K3 with Campbell at the wheel raised the record again to 130.93mph.

Following this record it was decided that K3 had reached her
limits, but the Rolls-Royce R engine could do more. Hence K3’s
successor K4 was born and the Rolls-Royce R-engine helped Campbell set
his final water-speed record of 141.74mph, fittingly but somewhat
ominously on Coniston Water, back in Great Britain on 19 August 1939.

The Rolls-Royce Waterspeed Collection

“I think Charles Rolls would have loved this vehicle.
He would have been fully in tune with Sir Malcolm Campbell’s spirit of
endeavour.” – Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The power of nature and the power created by man lie at the
heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Car’s inspiration for Waterspeed. The calm
surface and blue waters of the 42 mile long Lake Maggiore – the second
largest lake in Italy – belie the power that created this Alpine
fissure, whilst the legendary 2,300bhp 36.5-litre V12 Rolls-Royce R
aero engine that rent its surface as Sir Malcolm set his water-speed
record were the designer’s key influences. The final piece of the
puzzle was the original concept for the Phantom Drophead Coupé – to
“bring the outside in” by creating a social space enabling occupants
to embrace the elements using sumptuous and relevant materials.
Waterspeed is the most radical interpretation of this approach to date.

The Maggiore Blue colour scheme, specially created by
Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke team, flows like water over all the surfaces of
Waterspeed, outside and in. It adorns the boat-like lines of the
Phantom Drophead Coupé’s exterior – the closest of any car design to
the classic Riva speedboats influenced by Pietro Riva’s earliest
designs, themselves created in the Italian Lakes – and extends to the
blue highlights on the 21-inch alloy wheels. A new imagining of a
Bluebird logo has also been designed by the Bespoke team at Goodwood
and becomes part of the coachline that adorns the sides of Waterspeed
in a contrasting blue.

Maggiore Blue also permeates the interior of Waterspeed.
Rolls-Royce Motor Car’s first ever two-tone steering wheel is enrobed
in the blueleather, as are highlights around the cabin such as the
piping on the seats, dashboard top, cup holder surround and door accents.

In addition, Maggiore Blue also brings a new twist to
the famous power reserve gauge, another of those trademark Rolls-Royce
design cues that raises a smile as it casually reveals the enormous
power potential at a driver’s disposal. Blue accents on Waterspeed’s
power reserve gauge invite the driver to go ‘into the blue’ as Sir
Malcolm Campbell did many times in pursuit of his world speed records.

But this unique colour treatment also creates the pièce de la
résistance of Waterspeed, as it envelops its 453bhp 6.75-litre V12
engine – a first for Rolls-Royce. This echoes how Campbell’s engineers
always painted Bluebird’s legendary 2,300bhp 36.5-litre V12
Rolls-Royce R aero engine that smashed all those records on air, land
and, of course, water.

Contrasting the water-like flow of this vivid blue hue around
the car is the viscous ebb of metal surfaces. Brushed steel bonnet,
windscreen A-frame, cockpit surround and rear deck, as well as
interior features, evoke both the sometimes steel grey skies over Lake
Maggiore experienced by Campbell’s crew in those September days on the
eve of war, but also the shocking modernity a craft such as K3 brought
to the early 20th century.

“Steel was itself used extensively on these groundbreaking craft
so we wanted metal to be the dominant application,” comments Alex
Innes, Bespoke Designer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Inside Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed, the aluminium
dashboard fascia, laser-etched door armrest cappings, aluminium
transmission tunnel and centre console, ‘Windchill Grey’ leather
upholstery and polished aluminium cupholders evoke the modernity of
this endeavour and further highlight the capabilities of the Bespoke
team at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood. Finally, bookmatched
Abachi wood veneer beneath the fascia on the dashboard evokes the
sense of a boat effortlessly gliding through water at pace.

Not content with simply evoking Campbell’s achievements through
colour and materials, Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke team has, in the grand
tradition of Sir Henry Royce and indeed Sir Malcolm Campbell, gone
many extra miles.

For example, the steel rear decking for which each piece of
material is individually beaten by hand for 70 hours and then
hand-brushed for a further 10, until perfect for Waterspeed.

Polished aluminium cup holders – in themselves a work of
automotive art – the specially developed clock that features the
infinity sign that adorned Campbell’s K3 and K4 craft and, of course,
the inside of the glove compartment lid that features all four of
Campbell’s water-speed records de-bossed in the leather lining, all
highlight the extra lengths Rolls-Royce has gone to celebrate Sir
Malcolm’s great act of daring.

Furthermore, the steering wheel took direct inspiration from K3
and K4, which both had blue steering wheels. It was key to the Bespoke
team that this first tactile experience of Waterspeed immediately
evoked the world of Sir Malcolm Campbell for the owner.

“In the same way as the Bluebird team used the most modern
materials available to them, we’ve done the same thing,” comments
Richard Collar, Head of Bespoke Marketing at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Another touch-point that the Bespoke team took great pains over
was the laser-engraved Bluebird motifs in the armrests of Waterspeed.
A new Bluebird image for a new generation, each one was machined from
a single billet of aluminium.

“We focused huge design effort on getting the Bluebird engraving
absolutely perfect to give it the right level of tactile
appreciation,” continues Collar.

The perfect platform for Waterspeed

Phantom Drophead Coupé lends itself as the perfect
platform for such a tribute to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s water-speed
records. As originally conceived by the Rolls-Royce engineering team,
an advanced aluminium spaceframe that is strong, lightweight and as
rigid as a Formula 1 car sits at the Phantom Drophead Coupé’s core,
serving as the foundation for the car’s extraordinary driving prowess.

Epitomising the Rolls-Royce marriage of cutting-edge technology
with fine craftsmanship, each spaceframe is entirely hand-welded, then
finished as if it were a precision instrument. Every morning, skilled
welders perform a 300mm test to check for atmospheric effects on the
material with which they will work. More than 200 box sections of cast
aluminium extrusion are then formed to create the frame, which is
checked by laser for accuracy to within a millimetre. Finally, the
largest computer-guided machining platform in the auto industry sets
to work on the complete structure, milling critical points with
pinpoint precision.

Waterspeed’s exterior lines echo the timeless styling of the
great Rolls-Royce cars: a long bonnet, large-diameter wheels, short
front and long rear overhangs and the quintessential dynamic line
descending along its flanks. Inside, the design emphasises the airy
openness of top-down motoring, embracing the elements and creating a
stunning, social environment.

Phantom Drophead Coupé has been carefully crafted to be
aesthetically pleasing, yet practical too. It offers owners an
unparalleled convertible experience, combining compelling driveability
with exceptional engineering, technology and design – hand crafted
from the finest materials to an exceptional level of quality.

The hood is the largest of any modern convertible. Its acoustic
insulation is exemplary, with five layers of insulation material
between occupants and the outside world. Lined with a cashmere blend,
the structure is more like a bespoke suit than a traditional fabric
roof. Rolls-Royce was keen to use a fabric roof rather than a folding
hard-top for many reasons, not least aesthetics and tradition.

Inside Phantom Drophead Coupé

The interior concept revolves around the idea of an
indoor/outdoor space; an all-weather passenger compartment that
combines the practicality required for convertible motoring with the
sumptuous elegance expected of Rolls-Royce. When designing Phantom
Drophead Coupé, Rolls-Royce designers visited a boatyard in
Southampton where one of the famous 1930s America’s Cup J-class yachts
was being restored. They were struck by the variety and uses of
different materials throughout, as well as its tremendous sense of
purposeful elegance.

Phantom Drophead Coupé has been created as a car in which to
enjoy the elements. The all-weather surfaces of the interior have been
designed to take everything that nature can throw at them. To this
end, a number of notable features can be seen throughout the interior.
For example, in place of traditional floor mats, wholly more practical
saddle leather and metal mats are used on Waterspeed.

The driving position is set deliberately high to give a
commanding view of the road over the long bonnet, and the curved rear
lounge seats offer an intimate, social environment for passengers.
Rear legroom is excellent and marks the car out as a true four-seater.

Driving

The Phantom Drophead Coupé’s advanced aluminium
spaceframe is at the heart of its refined, dynamic driving experience.
Lightweight and exceptionally strong, it impacts positively on ride,
comfort and safety. Its inherent rigidity is essential in isolating
vibration and maintaining the hushed interior calm associated with the marque.

A lower centre of gravity, combined with the reduced wheelbase
and incredibly stiff body, produces a ride that is refined, yet agile.
Feedback from the wheels is informative but not intrusive. Imperfect
road surfaces go unnoticed while feel through the steering wheel
inspires confidence. New spring dampers and lighter anti-roll bars
have been engineered to maintain comfort without loss of agility,
whilst self-levelling air struts continuously adjust for increased
loading in harder cornering, giving drivers the ability to place the
car through turns with absolute precision.

Ample power is supplied by a 6.75-litre, naturally aspirated,
V12 engine. Developing 453bhp / 338kW and 720Nm / 531lb ft of torque
at 3500rpm, delivery is smooth and abundant. Furthermore, with 75 per
cent of engine power available at just 1000rpm, progress from a
standstill is effortless and remains so throughout the rev range.

The powerful V12 will accelerate Phantom Drophead Coupé to 60mph
in under six seconds and on to a limited top speed of 149 mph / 240
km/h. It stops in equally impressive fashion, using 374mm / 14.7in
ventilated disc brakes at the front and 370mm / 14.5in at the rear.

Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is a hallmark of Rolls-Royce. From the
traditional wood and leather workshop skills to the complex welding of
the aluminium spaceframe, a 21st century Rolls-Royce is a blend of
hand crafted expertise and high-tech materials and techniques.

With more than 400 hours invested in each car, not including the
time taken to build the engine, nearly right is never acceptable. The
maxim of company founder Sir Henry Royce still resonates around the
Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood today: “Strive for perfection in
everything you do.” From day-to-day production cars to the often
complex Bespoke requests, Rolls-Royce has a skilled team adept at
meeting the challenges of crafting the finest cars for the most
discerning customers.

In the case of Waterspeed, getting exactly the same look for the
brushed steel on the grille surround, the bonnet, the rear deck and
the A-pillar was a challenge. After a great deal of research and
testing, hand-brushing finished by hand-polishing was deemed the best
way of achieving a uniform grain.

Craftsmanship can be found throughout Phantom Drophead Coupé,
from the largest, most visible parts down to the smallest, unseen
detail. By constructing each car, whether standard or Bespoke, with
the same enthusiasm and passion with which it was designed,
Rolls-Royce ensures that each one will offer a unique motoring
experience, both to its owners and to all those who will travel in it.

“With Waterspeed, we have a beautiful design aesthetic combined
with engineering excellence and innovation as well as the
craftsmanship so associated with Rolls-Royce. Those things together
have created this wonderful car and this wonderful story,” concludes
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.